Thursday 14 August 2014 15.11 EDT
First published on Thursday 14 August 2014 15.11 EDT

The Great British Bake Off stars Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have landed their own daytime chat show on ITV – more than 16 years after they last hosted a similar show called Light Lunch on Channel 4.

Helen Warner, ITV director of daytime, said: "I've been a big Mel and Sue fan for years and I'm thrilled their new show will be part of the ITV daytime schedule. Both are brilliant broadcasters and comedians and bring a unique warmth and charisma as presenters."

The pair, who met at university in Cambridge, got their big break when they appeared on French and Saunders and have hosted TV and radio shows as a duo and separately.

But they have gained new levels of popularity since appearing with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood on the hit baking contest since its launch in 2010. The show, now in its fifth series, has moved from BBC2 to BBC1 and its ratings have steadily increased, with more than nine million watching the most recent final.

Giedroyc joked: "I've been asked to host a show with somebody called Porkin? Parkin? Portly? I've never heard of her – but I'll be very happy to meet her soon."

Perkins said: "I very much look forward to working with Mel again, although, for legal reasons, we will now be at least one metre apart at all times."

ITV said the new show would see them chat with "the nation's best-loved celebrities and some of Britain's quirkiest real life characters".

The programme will be produced by Princess Productions, which was behind Light Lunch and which also makes Sky's Got to Dance and Channel 5's The Wright Stuff. Its new managing director Emma Hardy said: "We're so excited to be producing this new series for ITV and thrilled to be making live television again with Mel and Sue after such a long time."